Four, including teen girl, charged in death of man found in Middle River

Four people, including a 17-year-old girl, have been charged with murder in the slaying of a homeless man whose body was found Monday floating in the Middle River inside George English Park, police said.

Four people, including a 17-year-old girl, have been charged with murder in the slaying of a homeless man whose body was found Monday floating in the Middle River inside George English Park, police said.

Four people, including teenage girl, face murder charges in death of Fort Lauderdale homeless man

Four people, including a 17-year-old girl, have been charged with murder in connection with the death of a homeless man whose body was found Monday floating in the Middle River inside George English Park, police said.

The body of Jerome P. Harte, 60, was pulled from the water at 7 a.m. Tuesday after it was spotted by a kayaker, according to Fort Lauderdale police.

Crews from Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and the police department removed the body from the water in the park in the 1100 block of Bayview Drive.

The Broward County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a homicide.

Charged with one count of murder are David Harrison and Ashley Barrientos, both 24 and homeless; Jean Cyma, 19; and Debraysia Fulton, 17, of Fort Lauderdale.

Fort Lauderdale police said Fulton gave a statement in which she admitted rolling Harte's body into the water.

Barrientos and Harrison appeared Wednesday before Broward Judge John "Jay" Hurley, who ordered them held without bond.

Cassandra Davis, Harrison's mother, contacted police Tuesday and told detectives that her son and Barrientos had confessed to participating in Harte's death, according to a police affidavit. After being read his right to remain silent, Harrison confessed his role in the slaying, police said.

Harte's body showed signs of head trauma and lacerations, detectives said. A box cutter and prescription eyeglasses matching those worn by Harte were recovered from the dock in an area Harte was known to frequent, police said.

More of the victim's possessions were recovered from the water, detectives said.

Police also took a statement from William Peterson, a homeless man who also slept in the park. He said the defendants had a long-running dispute with Harte and had threatened to beat him.

Peterson told police he was awakened at about 9:20 p.m. Sunday and told by the defendants that they had to get out of the park right away. He saw them flee, he told police.

Detectives do not believe that Harte was targeted because he was homeless, agency spokeswoman Detective Tracy Figone said in a news release.